


Star Trek: To Explore

by deuZige



Category: Star Trek
Genre: Gen, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-24
Updated: 2019-03-03
Packaged: 2019-11-04 18:01:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17902889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deuZige/pseuds/deuZige
Summary: The tumultuous times that the Milky Way Galaxy went through over the decades and the aftermath of the climactic events are in the past. The powers of the Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta quadrants seem to have found some sort of equilibrium and balance seems to have been restored.StarFleet, used for so long to be just about anything but explorers, receives the order from the Federation Council to return to their original purpose and explore the unknown reaches of the Galaxy, to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, and to boldly go where no one has gone before.Three years after the order was given to Starfleet command, construction of the first of a new class of starships is completed.Meet its crew and join them on their epic mission into the unknown regions of the Galaxy. Learn why it is sometimes better to leave that which has been lost to stay lost.





	1. Prologue

Pre-Prologue: Minutes to departure.

Wishing he could have a look at a feed of the live broadcast that billions upon billions of beings across the Federation were watching, it took considerable effort for Arend to keep his mind focused. It wouldn't be an unthinkable thing for him, to have four camera drones registering his every move, and image his smallest details, and find out afterwards he was having a bad hair-day without his notice. He dismissed the thought from his mind with effort and surveyed the bridge, HIS bridge, taking in every member of the crew, HIS crew, he reminded himself.

It was something else he regretted quickly. What use did it have to scrutinize the officers when he did not know most of them well enough to tell if their behavior or expression was out of the ordinary? The only one officer, truly, familiar to him was his 1st officer, and good friend since childhood, Commander Lucy Ylevol. Irony was that Lucy was the very embodiment of "out of the ordinary". Even though there were now quite a few Ferengi in Starfleet, following in the footsteps of Commodore Nog, son of the Ferengi Alliance's former Grand Nagus Rom, Lucy was one of only a handful of Female Ferengi to have joined the ranks, and Commodore Nog's daughter to boot. Arend also knew that wasn't the most extraordinary thing about her either.

As he was scanning the bridge, waiting for the final preparations to be completed and time ticked away the seconds towards the official time of departure he felt a slight tap against his elbow. A glance in the direction of said elbow he caught Lucy's eye which directed his view to one of the tiny display screens in the armrest of the captain's chair. He felt the warmth of the blood flooding through his face in response to the gratitude and appreciation he felt when he realized Lucy had tuned the little screen in to the Federation News Service's live broadcast. How she'd known he needed that was beyond him but he was grateful for it none the less. The image he saw reassured him that, so far, the screen showed nothing that he could even remotely have issue with. The chrono just above the screen told him that their time, as the saying goes, had come. He stood up from his chair and stepped one step forward, one quick tug making sure his uniform was straight and neat. 

"Ladies and gentlemen, we shall release docking clamps and sever all connections with the station in exactly five minutes. I must ask all who are not part of the crew or mission to disembark. Mr. Nesnaj, please see to the safe and proper departure of our guests." Arend spoke, hoping he sounded less squeaky than it had seemed to sound to him.

 

"Aye sir." Lt. Commander Derf Nessnaj replied, before starting to gently but firmly direct the few remaining guests towards the turbo-lift, and onward to the transporter room.

Before he could do or say anything else Arend's view was blocked by a massive but familiar shape. Refocusing his eyes on the face on top of that shape he found himself looking in the emotion filled gaze of his father, Admiral Ekahs van Silfhout.

 

"I guess that's my queue to leave you to it as much as it is for anyone else" the old man said, emotion cracking through the barriers, imperceptible to anyone but him. Just before he could utter a word in response he found himself locked in one of his fathers almost unbreakable bear-hugs, reserved for those rare occasions and ever rarer people his father deemed worthy of it.

"Dammit son, I am so jealous of you right now I cannot even describe it. And that makes me prouder of you than any father has ever been of any son ever. I wanted you to know that, and that I love you!" a whisper almost to soft for him to hear even though his fathers mouth was mere centimeters from them told his ears the feelings most would not think his father capable of having. 

As his father released the hug, Arend thought he even spotted a sparkle of moist in the farthest regions of his father's eye. Knowing that his father's hug had been carefully timed to occur out of view of any cameras and of most other beings on the bridge Arend snapped to attention, saluted gravely, as the lone remaining camera drone of the FNS, turned it's camera lens to him, and zoomed closer to capture this moment in detail. Robbed of the opportunity to respond to his father's loving emotional words. His father felt the camera's intrusiveness into their moment as much as Arend did though.

 

"Captain Arend van Silfhout, thank you for allowing me to witness the final preparations for your departure, and to feel at least a little bit like a part of the momentous occasion in our history this is." Arend's father said, returning the salute at attention with more reverence and respect than Arend had ever seen him do.

 

"Admiral, I assure you that it would be difficult to overstate how much part of this occasion you are. I am honored.... WE are honored to have been selected to serve as part of this crew, on this ship, and on this mission, most of which would not be here were it not for your dedicated work." Arend replied.

 

"Thank you for your generous praise, but now my part, whatever that may have been, is done. It is all up to you now, and to your crew. I am confident you will succeed, whatever it may be that awaits you." the Admiral replied, adding; "Permission to disembark Captain?" 

 

"Permission granted!" Arend replied, and nodded to Lt. Ocram Nessnaj. The last word, as it should be, was his fathers;

 

"Energize", just before the quantum sparkles enveloped him and whisked him away.

 


	2. The departure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the last visiters have left the ship it is time to leave the dock. After adressing the crew and the viewers of the Federation News Service Arend gives the orders for the ship to get underway.

Chapter 2: Moving out.

As soon as the afterimage of the Admiral had faded away completely Lt. Nessnaj reported the successful disembarkation of their guests. Except for the camera drone there was no one on the ship now who wasn't part of the crew. The chrono told him that they'd timed it to perfection.

Still standing in front of the Captain's chair, at the center of the bridge he nodded to himself and spoke up.

"Commander, please open a ship wide channel." he ordered.

Normally the comm officer would be the one to handle such a request but their chief comm officer wasn't yet on board yet. They'd be picking her up on their way out of Federation space at Deep Space 9.

"Channel open sir" Lucy replied crisply.

He could hear the smile on her face, and knew she was amused by the awkwardness he was feeling at that moment. He ignored it, took a deep breath and addressed the entire crew, and had no doubt that his father could hear him to. The soft buzz coming from the Federation News Services camera drone was also just loud enough to remind him he had quite possibly the largest audience any had ever had.

"Fellow officers and citizens of the Federation. On stardate 50975.4 the last of Starfleet's vessels on a mission of exploration received notification their mission was canceled and were ordered to return to the Federation to join in her defense.

This was almost 23 years ago.

Since then Starfleet has had to deploy their resources and focus their efforts on events and activities ranging from war to emergency relief, and from rebuilding to deterrent.

There have been times during the past two decades when the end of the very existence of the Federation, and Starfleet, seemed all but inevitable.

It has taken all of our energy, resources, willpower, sacrifice, hard work and, more than once, the help of others, friends as well as former enemies, but we survived.

We endured.

We overcame and we did so while staying true to the foundation of freedom, justice and universal rights upon which the United Federation of Planets was built.

Not only did we exist, endure and overcome but we also recovered, eventually.

We rebuilt while helping those in need when and where we could so they too could endure and overcome. We offered those who'd lost their home sanctuary, and strengthened the bonds with our friends.

Some of our one time enemies are no longer enemies or have even become our allies, friends and in one occasion have joined us as a member of the Federation.

Three years ago the Federation council, wisely recognizing and acknowledging that the time had come to once again turn from the past and into the future, issued a general order to Starfleet command that became the first paragraph of a new chapter in the chronicles of our history.

Last year this order, general order 251, transformed from being one of many of Starfleet's duties into being Starfleet's main charter. I wonder how many in the Federation, and in Starfleet, know the wording of that order and the current charter which Starfleet's now identifies itself with.

And I also wonder how many, or how few, realize how close those words match with the original charter that was written when Starfleet was first created and which precedes the Federation charter by decades.

Starfleet's new charter says;

"Space is, and has always been, the final frontier. As a civilization we are driven by our thirst for knowledge and a desire to better ourselves to undertake the enterprise of crossing that frontier. By order of the Federation Council it is Starfleet's primary purpose to voyage across that final frontier. To explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no one has gone before."

It is a charter that echo's the words of Zephram Cochrane, creator of Earth's warp-drive, and were carried on the bridges of the most famous ships in Federation history such as the USS Enterprise. It is a duty which we proudly take upon us, and which we shall proudly perform to the best of our ability.

It is the charter that lead us to this moment, this place, to this ship. It is the journey upon which we now embark, and it is this that humbles me, inspires me and makes me proud to be able to finally say;

"Lt. Commander Nessnaj, Power up the ship for departure, detach all umbilicals and release all docking clamps"

"Aye Captain.... Powering up for station keeping..... all umbilicals and docking clamps away…. We are clear to maneuver."

"ESD Operations confirms, and signals permission for departure" Lucy reported, adding "Ease us out of the dock mr. Nessnaj."

As the view-screen showed slowly increased movement, sliding the dock facilities out of view to the back, Arend sat down in his chair, letting out a long breath of relief and ordered; 

"Set course for Deep Space 9"

The response was almost instant; "Course set."

From Ops another voice informed; "We have cleared ESD, and ready to engage Captain"

A quick smile and a wink at his first officer next to him betrayed the excitement Arend felt as he replied.

  
"Warp 4 mr. Nessnaj, engage!"

In response the view of the star scape stretched for an instant before flashing to the familiar star streaks that almost never changed when ships were traveling faster than the speed of light 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea why but this felt like the most difficult chapter to write I've ever written. I am not even sure I'm happy with how it turned out. But for now, having sunk 5+ hours into it..... i'll take it.


End file.
